Tension apparatus for cable railways



(No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. M. LANE.

` TENSION APPARATUS POR CABLE RAILWAYS. Nog 342,367:`h

Patented May Z5, 1886.

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TENSION APPARATUS FOR GABLE RAILWAYS.

No. 342.367. Y Patented May 25, 1886. Y

N PETERS Pbomuemgrzpher, washngmn. D42,

UiviTED STATES i PATENT OEEIcE.

HENRY M. `LANE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

TENSION APPARATUS FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No.342,367,dated May 25,1886.

Application filed December '7. 1885. Serial No. 184.880.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENRY M. LANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, Ohio,.have invented new and useful Im-` provements in Tension ,Apparatus for Cable -Railways, of which the following is a specifisuch as atmospheric conditions, the unequal` and varying distribution of load, Src.; and it consists in theconstructionof the tensioucarriage and the weight-connections of the same, also in the construction and arrangement of the weight supporting and regulating mechanism, all as more particularly hereinafter described.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view ofthe tension-carriage,i ts tension-wheels, and weightequalizing bar; Fig. 2, a detail f showing the constructive connection of the end and side braces of the carriage; Fig. 3, a plan view of the weight supporting and regulating mechanism; Fig. 4, an end elevation of the weight-supporting sheave hangers and weights, Fig. 5, a side elevation of one of the weight-supporting pulleys, its idler-pulley, and the screw-gear actuating the windingdrum; Fig. a detached view of one of the removable weights, and Fig. 7, a perspective View of one of the end bars of the tensioncar riage, showing its construction and mode of attachment to the I -bcams of the carriage.

Referring, now, to the drawings, A designates the tension-carriage77 arranged to run upon a suitable track, a a, behind the cabledriving drums. (Not shown.) The carriage carries upon a shaft, x, journaied between and upon its side bars, Z1, a fixed pulley, B, and a loose pulley, B', side by side.

The arrangement of the cable upon its main windingdrums and the tensioncarriage is the same as usual, and need not be described in detail.

In order that-the action ofthetension-weights (hereinafter described) may be thoroughly effective and respond sensitively to any variations occurring in the cable, it is requisite that (No model.)

the carriage A should be light, perfectly rigid, and move with little frictional resistance upon the track. To this end I construct the sides of the carriage-frame of two I-beams or deck7 beams, b Z1, secured by two cast end pieces, c c, (more fully shown in Fig. 7,) upon which latter are cast the journal-bearings d d of the axles e e, and to the latter are rigidly secured the wheels w. The end pieces, c, are formed with end iianges, ci, and bracingwebs c3, the

end flanges, c", being formed to iit against the web of the deck-beams between the upper and lower ilanges of the same, and are there secured by bolts or rivets, forming a rigid connection. The two castings c are similar, ex-

cepting that one has a central flange extending forward centrally, Fig. 1, for the attachment of the equalizing-bar f of the weightropes r r. I employ two of the latter, attached to the ends of the equalizing-bar f, and extending thence over idler-sheaves C C', mounted upon a common shaft, g, journaled in fixed bearings near the end of the track-4 way and around traveling sheaves D D, by which the weights NV W are suspended in lower bights of two ropes, o' r', and thence pass up again to winding-drums E E upon a common shaft, h, also journaled in xed bearings upon the track-frame.

The shaft h, carrying the winding drums, is provided with a screw gear-wheel, f1), with which is meshed a screw-shaft, 7c, arranged vertically and provided with an actuatingwheel, Z, which may be operated by a removable bar, m.

The weights NV, composed of separate removable slotted plates, are arranged upon yokes hung from the pulleys l) D', and the weight is increased or diminished at pleasure by adding or removing plates.

It has4 been common in cable constructions heretofore to locate the mechanism for taking up the slack of the tensioirweight ropes upon the carriage; but this, together with the otherwise necessarily increased weight of the carriage, introduces a detrimental element of momentum ofthe carriage to disturb the proper action of the tension devices, besides adding to the friction of the carriage in its movement upon its track. This difficulty I avoid, first, by removing the take-up mechanism entirely IOO from the tension-carriage and arranging it in A fixed position upon the tracksupports, and, secondly, by the described construction ofthe tension-carriage, which combines the elements of great strength and rigidity with the minimum of dead-weight. It has been common heretofore, also, to construct the carriage with loose Wheels and with a single rope attached directly to the weight. Not only does this require a deep well7 for the action of the weight, but its action in the gathered force of its fall, or by the uneven motion of the carriage often brought undue strain u )on the ca-` I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. The take-up device for cable-railWay-tension apparatus embodying, in combination with a carriage-rope passing over a fixed idler` sheave and a Weight hung by a traveling sheavc in the lower bigllt of the rope, a horizontal winding-drum, to which the end of the rope is xed, provided with a gear meshing with a vertical screw, by which the rope may be wound or unwound upon the drum, substantially as set forth.

2. The tensioncarriage as constructed, embodying, in combination with the tensionwheels, a frame consisting ofv the rolled I- beam sides, the end braces cast with flanges secured against the webs of the side beams and carrying the laxle-bearings, and the axles `journaled in said bearings with wheels rigidly secured upon the axles, substantially as set forth. ii

3. The combination of the carriage A, equalizing-barf, Weight-ropes r r', idler-sheaves G C', winding-drums E E', traveling sheaves D D, and Weights WV, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY M. LANE. 

